Article: What if the Red Sox Are Done Adding?

[mvp 78]

17 minutes ago, Hitch said:

On the topic of adding, I've ben thinking this a lot over the holidays, doesn't this feel like a pretty bad FA year? 

Take away the starting pitching in which we've improved so done our bot without giving out 8 year contracts, and Soto on which we tried, but ultimately had no chance with, you're left with Teoscar as an exciting option. Mostly everyone else I would not want to be giving out long term contracts with the exception of on or two of the relivers. And even then I'm not overly in favour of doing it. 

 

The position players in particular were a poor bunch.

 

This was a year a lot of posters were waiting on and noting the pitching talent available. Now that it's almost over and the Sox haven't signed anyone, it's a bad year? 

[Hitch]

7 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

This was a year a lot of posters were waiting on and noting the pitching talent available. Now that it's almost over and the Sox haven't signed anyone, it's a bad year? 

I said if you take away the starting pitching. Clearly there were several options there, and I'm very happy with the way it has worked out for us and the moves we made. The position players in particular seem a pretty undesirable bunch in the main this year.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Hitch said:

On the topic of adding, I've ben thinking this a lot over the holidays, doesn't this feel like a pretty bad FA year? 

Take away the starting pitching in which we've improved so done our bot without giving out 8 year contracts, and Soto on which we tried, but ultimately had no chance with, you're left with Teoscar as an exciting option. Mostly everyone else I would not want to be giving out long term contracts with the exception of on or two of the relivers. And even then I'm not overly in favour of doing it. 

The position players in particular were a poor bunch.

 

Nearly all our position players, except for Duran have one or more major flaws. We have very few all around good everyday players.

Good or better O and poor D: Devers, Casas, Ref, Yoshida, Wong

Goor or better D and poor or questionable O: Rafaela, Abreu v L, Story (injury), DHam v L, Narvaez

Needs to prove it on both sides: Grissom

[Hitch]

3 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Nearly all our position players, except for Duran have one or more major flaws. We have very few all around good everyday players.

Good or better O and poor D: Devers, Casas, Ref, Yoshida, Wong

Goor or better D and poor or questionable O: Rafaela, Abreu v L, Story (injury), DHam v L, Narvaez

Needs to prove it on both sides: Grissom

Which is the same for all the free agent position players. Teoscar felt like a natural and obvious fit, but apart from that, I'm not for us spending big on anyone else (Soto excluded of course).

[notin]

58 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

This was a year a lot of posters were waiting on and noting the pitching talent available. Now that it's almost over and the Sox haven't signed anyone, it's a bad year? 

Almost over?

Nearly 30 of the MLBTR top 50 free agents are still available…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

7 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Nearly all our position players, except for Duran have one or more major flaws. We have very few all around good everyday players.

Duran got suspended for two games for verbal irreverence. He also led the team in strikeouts.

There be opt-out flaws in all of our contracts.

[mvp 78]

29 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Nearly all our position players, except for Duran have one or more major flaws. We have very few all around good everyday players.

Good or better O and poor D: Devers, Casas, Ref, Yoshida, Wong

Goor or better D and poor or questionable O: Rafaela, Abreu v L, Story (injury), DHam v L, Narvaez

Needs to prove it on both sides: Grissom

The vast majority of MLB players have one or more major flaws. The Mets just signed a guy for 750M who isn't a good defender. How many all around players are really left in the game? 

[mvp 78]

18 minutes ago, notin said:

Almost over?

Nearly 30 of the MLBTR top 50 free agents are still available…

The guys that can actually impact the Sox the most (the top of the 50) are generally gone. Only one of the top 10 projected fWAR guys is still available (Bregman). Only 9 of the top 30 are available and vast majority of those don't seem like fits. Only unsigned guy that has been linked to the Sox on the front page of FanGraphs Free Agent Tracker is Bregman. It's either Bregman and/or another reliever. That's it for this offseason. 

[Bellhorn04]

1 hour ago, Hitch said:

On the topic of adding, I've ben thinking this a lot over the holidays, doesn't this feel like a pretty bad FA year? 

Take away the starting pitching in which we've improved so done our bot without giving out 8 year contracts, and Soto on which we tried, but ultimately had no chance with, you're left with Teoscar as an exciting option. Mostly everyone else I would not want to be giving out long term contracts with the exception of on or two of the relivers. And even then I'm not overly in favour of doing it. 

 

The position players in particular were a poor bunch.

 

All you can really do is compare it to other years, but I'm not sure anyone's up for that kind of dive.

I've heard a few comments that next year's FA class isn't great, with Vlad Jr. being the top position player.

[mvp 78]

19 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

All you can really do is compare it to other years, but I'm not sure anyone's up for that kind of dive.

I've heard a few comments that next year's FA class isn't great, with Vlad Jr. being the top position player.

How to judge? Projected fWAR for the next year? Vibes? Contracts given out? 

[Bellhorn04]

33 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

How to judge? Projected fWAR for the next year? Vibes? Contracts given out? 

Maybe the MLBTR list of top 50 projected contracts as a starting point, with some tweaks for inflation etc.   

Like I say, it'd be a dive.

[Hitch]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

All you can really do is compare it to other years, but I'm not sure anyone's up for that kind of dive.

I've heard a few comments that next year's FA class isn't great, with Vlad Jr. being the top position player.

This is true. It's mostly just a feeling to be honest. And I am talking position players. It just feels like a lot of underwhelming players available, especially at the prices they're projected for,

[mvp 78]

29 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Maybe the MLBTR list of top 50 projected contracts as a starting point, with some tweaks for inflation etc.   

Like I say, it'd be a dive.

Not it. 

moon? 

[Hugh2]

They better start extending people if they’re done, otherwise they’ll haven spent even less money this year after saying they would and the FO will lose all credibility 

[notin]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

All you can really do is compare it to other years, but I'm not sure anyone's up for that kind of dive.

I've heard a few comments that next year's FA class isn't great, with Vlad Jr. being the top position player.

Kyle Tucker is the top position player…

[Bellhorn04]

14 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

They better start extending people if they’re done, otherwise they’ll haven spent even less money this year after saying they would and the FO will lose all credibility 

Sam didn't actually make any promises about the payroll.  He just said it was possible they'd exceed the tax threshold.

I don't think they're totally done yet, not that I'm expecting anything especially arousing.  

[Bellhorn04]

8 minutes ago, notin said:

Kyle Tucker is the top position player…

They actually look pretty close to me.

[notin]

1 minute ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Sam didn't actually make any promises about the payroll.  He just said it was possible they'd exceed the tax threshold.

I don't think they're totally done yet, not that I'm expecting anything especially arousing.  

Still thinking they go heavy on Bregman, just hopefully not for 6 or 7 years.  It’s getting to be fine for a Show of Spending, like we’ve seen in the past…

[Bellhorn04]

1 minute ago, notin said:

Still thinking they go heavy on Bregman, just hopefully not for 6 or 7 years.  It’s getting to be fine for a Show of Spending, like we’ve seen in the past…

I thought this year's show was the Really Big Tries on Soto and Fried.

[notin]

4 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

In what way does he top Vlad?

Higher career bWAR.  (Both players are tied for career fWAR.)

Plays a more difficult position to fill…

[notin]

1 minute ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I thought this year's show was the Really Big Tries on Soto and Fried.

That was the opening act…

[Bellhorn04]

Just now, notin said:

That was the opening act…

OK you crazy dreamer...

[mvp 78]

37 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

They better start extending people if they’re done, otherwise they’ll haven spent even less money this year after saying they would and the FO will lose all credibility 

What credibility? This was the year to earn it back. Not sure there's any to lose. 

[Old Red]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

What credibility? This was the year to earn it back. Not sure there's any to lose. 

Good PR, and credibility does not go hand in hand from JH down to Brez.

[mvp 78]

28 minutes ago, notin said:

Kyle Tucker is the top position player…

Some interesting names. The positional players are better than this year. The pitching may not be much of a step down. 

Catcher: Realmuto

1B: Vlad, Naylor, Goldy

2B: Arraez, Torres, Flores

SS: Bichette

3B: not much

OF: Tucker, Schwarber, Bellinger, Mullins, Conforto, Ozuna

SP: Cease, Gallen, Framber, Monty, Bieber, Woodruff, Eflin, Senga, Ranger Suarez, Bassitt, Buehler, Nestor, Merrill Kelly, May, Civale, Maeda

RP: Edwin Diaz, Devin Williams, Helsley, Raisel Iglesias, Aroldis, Robert Suarez, Pressly, Hendriks, Kopech, Romano, Taylor Rogers

[mvp 78]

22 minutes ago, notin said:

That was the opening act…

I think we're seeing why they changed Winter Weekend... 🧛‍♂️🍅🤾‍♂️

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

I think we're seeing why they changed Winter Weekend... 🧛‍♂️🍅🤾‍♂️

Because Bloom who was the star of the show is no longer there?🤫

[Hugh2]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

What credibility? This was the year to earn it back. Not sure there's any to lose. 

Well, there's always negative credibility

[moonslav59]

5 hours ago, Hitch said:

Which is the same for all the free agent position players. Teoscar felt like a natural and obvious fit, but apart from that, I'm not for us spending big on anyone else (Soto excluded of course).

Bregman is good on D and O. The problem is, we are blind to the fact that Devers sucks on DF at 3B.

[Hugh2]

2 hours ago, notin said:

That was the opening act…

I don't think they really tried as much with Fried as they did with Soto.